Russell Brand breaks his silence after sexual abuse claims, complaining of a ‘stressful week’ as he begs for cash
RUSSELL Brand complained about a “disturbing week” in a bizarre tirade last night following a spate of sexual assault allegations.
The comedian is accused of numerous sexual assaults – including rape – on several women in Great Britain and California between 2003 and 2013.
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Brand, 48, has vigorously denied the allegations made against him.
In his first social media appearance since the claims were first published by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, Brand asked his followers to subscribe to his Rumble video platform.
In a video to his 3.8 million followers on Instagram, Brand said: “Obviously it has been an extraordinary and worrying week and I thank you very much for your support and for challenging the information that was presented to you. “
During the three-minute clip, he said he would be tackling “Big Tech,” “Big Pharma,” and current legislation like the Online Safety Bill in the future.
The Hollywood actor added: “I need your support now more than ever and more than I ever imagined. Please stay free if you can.
Subscribers pay at least £50 a year to subscribe to Rumble, and creators can earn more money through donations.
Brand will also be able to make money from advertising before and during his videos.
The move came as YouTube blocked him from making money on his channel, where he has over 6.6 million subscribers and more than 1.13 billion views.
Experts say Brand probably earned around £4,000 per video, which could see him earn around £1million a year.
Advertisements from companies like Currys and Masterclass were still running on Monday.
But taxi app FreeNow said it had asked that its adverts no longer run on the star’s channel.
Brand has also removed shows and podcasts including Bake Off, QI and Big Brother from the BBC and Channel 4 streaming services.
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star has an estimated fortune of £16 million, but his tour was canceled and his book was shelved following the allegations.
Brand’s plea came just hours after a woman told Sky News he allegedly ripped a hole through her tights in a taxi and wouldn’t let her leave until she performed “sexual acts.”
On Thursday, another woman told the BBC that Brand had allegedly exposed himself to her in an office in Los Angeles.
She claimed he told her: “I’m going to fuck you” before laughing it off moments later on his BBC Radio 2 show.
Another told The Sun on Tuesday that Brand allegedly stalked her on the street and demanded sex.
The conspiracy theorist is also currently being investigated by the Met Police after a woman contacted them on Sunday claiming she had been sexually abused by him in London’s Soho in 2003.
These allegations are in addition to the five women who made allegations last weekend.
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